Social Standings
by Lia Xaragi
Summary: One is the police commander in charge of capturing a pair of elusive thieves. The other is an assistant at the local pet store. When they’re worlds apart, how could two inhabitants of the city’s criminal underworld possibly bring the together? DISCONTINUE


Well I've gone and done it again, I've started writing yet another new story before finishing my others. (Sigh) I promised I wouldn't do it anymore until my other DNAngel fic was finished, but that's turned out longer than I expected, and one thing led to another…

This story was originally a short story for English coursework, but it fitted DNAngel so much better, so that's how it ended up. Well, here we go then, once more into the breach, dear friends…whatever that means…

Lia

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"Social Standings"

Chapter One "Investigations"

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_The newly infamous pair raced off into the night, leaving behind them a trail of wreckage from the ruined remains of their latest heist._

_The Inspector's cursing followed them in loud echoes as they disappeared down the back alley and slipped in through the hidden sidewall of their latest safe house. This new place was a blessing, somewhere to hide themselves and the takings from their nightly work, where they could lie low, completely unsuspected, for only a small price…it was the perfect hideout._

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"Saehara! You let them get away from you again!"

Police Commissioner Hiwatari was furious upon learning that Inspector Saehara had once again failed to capture the two criminals who had been ransacking the art galleries and museums of the city of Azumano for some time now.

"S-Sir, please, I can explain, I--"

"Silence! I've had enough of your bumbling excuses, Saehara, just look at this report," He slammed the folder onto his desk. "I refuse to believe that they 'Just disappeared', as you so bluntly put it. I've decided to take you off of the case, Saehara, I just can't depend on you to get the job done. I've re-assigned it to someone who I'm sure can handle it. He should be here any moment."

As if on cue, there came a knock on the Commissioner's office door and in walked Cluson's teenage son, Satoshi Hiwatari. Although the boy was much younger than him, Satoshi already outranked him in the force, having now reached the position of Police Chief Commander at the age of seventeen. Admittedly, the boy was a genius, and a model officer, but Saehara and quite a few of the other officers had their suspicions that his frequent promotions were only down to the nauseating favouritism from his adoptive father, the Commissioner, and not because of his own skills.

"Ah, Satoshi! Come in, come in. You know Inspector Saehara, I presume," The boy acknowledged the Inspector with a silent nod. "Inspector, you can leave now, my son and I have things to discuss regarding the case."

"Of course." growled Saehara as he left the office in a black mood. He considered slamming the door behind him to vent his anger, but, not wishing to appear immature in front of the Commissioner's son, his personal rival, he settled for making a rude gesture behind the closed door instead.

After the Inspector had left, the politeness between Satoshi and Commissioner Hiwatari disappeared. Although the Commissioner always made a big show of displaying affection for his adoptive son in public, there was a long-standing feud between the two. In truth, they couldn't stand one another.

"Stop calling me that," said Satoshi. "I'm not your son."

The Commissioner smiled icily. "I signed the adoption papers and took you in when you had nothing, Satoshi. I put you where you are today. In the eyes of the law, I am your legal guardian, and your father."

"By adoption only." muttered Satoshi. "So cut to the chase, what dirty work do you want me to do for you this time?"

"Now, now, Satoshi, there's no need for an attitude like that," The Commissioner pulled out a large folder from a filing cabinet near his desk. "You've hear of the 'Midnight Twins' case, I'm sure."

Of course Satoshi had heard of it. The Midnight Twins were the talk of the whole town. A pair of enigmatic criminals who appear from nowhere to relieve every museum and art gallery of it's precious paintings and artefacts, only to return them the next day for a hefty ransom. It was a story that was hard to miss. All over town the questions on the lips of every gossiping schoolgirl, clueless police officer and paranoid gallery owner were the same. Who were they? Where did they come from? _Where will they strike next?_

"We've had an anonymous tip-off this morning." Said Commissioner Hiwatari.

Satoshi looked up from his chain of thought. "Another warning letter?"

The Commissioner nodded and handed Satoshi a photocopy of the note, the original currently in the labs for fingerprints and other tests.

'_Tonight at midnight, we will steal the "Winged Hope" necklace from the Azumano National Museum. _

_Midnight Twins_

"It's the same type as the other notes," Satoshi said, studying the photocopy. Then he spotted something. "This mark here," he indicated the dark patch on the paper. "That's not a blur on the photocopy, right?"

"No, actually we're quite excited about that. That mark on the picture there was picked up by the scanners, when examined we found that there were traces of some kind of dust or powder on the warning note."

"Did you send a sample for testing?"

"Yes, I received the results slightly before you arrived. I think you'll find them most unusual." The Commissioner handed Satoshi another piece of paper with the screening results printed on it.

Satoshi read the results and then did a double take. "Are you sure these are correct?" he asked.

"That was my reaction too, but I've had the results checked and verified. They're correct. This leads us onto why I've called you here. I want you to take over the case, but first I need you to visit this place," he wrote an address down and gave it to Satoshi. "We've tracked down the origin of the dust on the note to this place, but before we go barging in and making arrests, I want you to go down there and see what you can find out."

"Very well," said Satoshi. "But don't think that I'm happy that you're dumping this on me, this is Officer Work, and I've got better things to do with my time than chat with suspects."

"Better things to do, Satoshi? Like what, your homework?" The Commissioner laughed callously as Satoshi left the office, slamming the door behind him.

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Well there's the first chapter, I know it sucks, but there you go…

Please be kind and review!

Lia


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